“And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;”
Or, oak grove. Cross references: : Heb. 13:2
“And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,”
That is, three Angels in man’s shape.
“And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:”
Speaking to one of them in whom appeared to be most majesty, for he thought they had been men.
“Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:”
For men used because of the great heat to go bare footed in those parts.
“And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. comfort: Heb. stay are: Heb. you have passed”
As sent of God, that I should do my duty to you.
“And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.”
For as God gave them bodies for a time, so gave he them the faculties thereof, to walk, to eat and drink, and such like.
“And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.”
That is, about this time when she shall be alive, or when the child shall come into this life. Gen. 17:19 , 21 ; Gen. 21:2 ; Rom. 9:9
“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
For she rather had respect to the order of nature, than believed the promise of God. 1 Pet. 3:6
“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;”
Jehovah the Hebrew word which we call Lord, showeth that this Angel was Christ: for this word is only applied to God.
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”
He showeth that fathers ought both to know God’s judgments, and to declare them to their children.
“I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.”
For our sins cry for vengeance, though none accuse us. God speaketh after the fashion of men: that is, I will enter into judgment with good advice.
“And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
God declareth that his judgments were done with great mercy, forasmuch as all were so corrupt, that not only fifty but ten righteous men could not be found there, and also that the wicked are spared for the righteous’ sake.
“And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:”
Hereby we learn, that the nearer we approach unto God, the more doth our miserable estate appear, and the more are we humbled.
“And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.”
If God refused not the prayer for the wicked Sodomites, even to the sixth request, how much more will he grant the prayers of the godly for the afflicted Church?